Local Flavors in Costa Rica

I promise not all of my fave experiences are food-focused but honestly, isn’t it one of the best ways to find yourself connected to a culture and place on so many levels?

That was just the case in Costa Rica. En-route to Monteverde, our guides surprised us with a special stop to share a meal and a little sweet treat with Doña Flory Araya Pérez & Don Luis Emilio Arias. Only an hour and a half from San Jose and you’re in lush tropical rainforest near the famous La Paz Waterfall.  Here you’ll have the unique opportunity of visiting with Doña Flory and Don Emilio who have lived in the region of La Paz all their lives.  Don Emilio works on his farm growing coffee and sugar cane, while Doña Flory works double-duty as a housewife and running her small restaurant – and what an excellent cook she is! Not to mention what a warm welcome she offers!

During the weekends, local visitor from San Ramón, San José, and other cities travel to visit Flory´s place for a tasty and welcoming Costa Rican meal and for the high-quality products that Don Emilio makes in his famous “Trapiche” Los Hermanos Arias. A trapiche is an old and traditional sugar cane mill where Don Emilio and his brothers have been producing traditional products from the sugar cane juices for the last 30 years.  Visitors learn about and try samples like “tapas” a hard block of natural unprocessed sugar, and “sobado” a candy like dessert made of sugar cane juice, peanuts, and powder milk.  After enjoying your typical meal and a tasty treat from the trapiche, we suggest you take your fresh cup of coffee to stroll about the gardens with a variety of birdfeeders, or perhaps take a stroll on the nature trailed in their forest preserve. A must inclusion for a typical tico experience!